John Taylor Phillips
Latest News on John Taylor Phillips:
Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage (Jun 16, 2023)
Photo Flash: Check Out Photos From Peter Shaffer's AMADEUS at Folger Theatre (Nov 6, 2019)
AMADEUS Set for Run at the Folger (Oct 8, 2019)
Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage (Jun 16, 2023)
Photo Flash: Check Out Photos From Peter Shaffer's AMADEUS at Folger Theatre (Nov 6, 2019)
AMADEUS Set for Run at the Folger (Oct 8, 2019)
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VIDEO: Director James DeVita Discusses CYRANO DE BERGERAC AT American Players Theatre
by Alan Henry - Oct 4, 2017
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Review: CLUE at Syracuse Stage
Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?
Syracuse Stage closes its 2022-23 season with the madcap farce, Clue. Based on the iconic 1950’s board game of the same name, Clue spoofs whodunit mysteries, film noir, 1950’s pop culture and gothic horror films. The play is adapted for stage from the 1985 film that was a critical flop but has since become a cult classic. Set during McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings, a time fraught with suspicion and accusation, the mansion owned by Mr. Boddy becomes the gathering point for six invited guests. These guests we find out are all guarded about their pasts, are all being blackmailed and are referred to by aliases that correspond to the famous characters in the board game. Each guest is then gifted one of the six murder weapons. In all, there are six potential murderers, six weapons and nine rooms in the mansion, 324 possibilities for who, what and where; as Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes agree, now “the game is afoot.” The gothic mansion, the dark and stormy night, the suspenseful reality of the play merge with Parker Brothers’ (now Hasbro’s) rule book and the characters become mashups of villains and game pieces. They punctuate the endings of scenes with comic confusion, mad scrambling and a kind of frantic skipping, like game pieces moving on a board after a dice roll. Scenic designer, Czerton Lim, creates the perfect 3-D version of the original board game. Upon entering the theatre, the audience sees a classic gothic foyer, complete with crystal chandelier, mahogany woodwork, marble stairs and a tiled floor fashioned to replicate the spaces on a game board. As the play progresses, the set becomes a character in itself as it transforms into the rooms of the mansion required by both the game and the play. His design is beautiful and functional. It not only provides a setting but also helps establish the humor and tempo of the play. It always surprises and delights. Likewise, original music by Michael Holland and sound design by Todd Mack create a comically suspenseful mood and punctuate the zany exploits on stage. Along with lighting design by Jared Gooding, the cliché of a dark and stormy night permeates the atmosphere and heightens the tension and anxiety of this mock thriller. The production is at its best when the actors are highly choreographed and in tune with the music, sound and light cues. In fact, the funniest moment in the play is prompted by a single gunshot. Director Benjamin Hanna establishes a fast pace from the very beginning of the play. It is so fast and furious that neither the audience nor the actors are allowed to get their bearings. The characters in Clue are obvious stereotypes but the portrayals all share the same frenetic quality without ever establishing basic, underlying traits and motivations. Characterization, for the most part, has been sacrificed to blatant silliness and camp. (There is nothing in the script that requires the beginning to move at such a pace.) Once the first murder occurs and the stakes are raised the speed can and should pickup through the end. For example, Plum is a stereotypical Professor, haughty and cerebral but cursed with an inflated libido. Beethovan Oden has a nice general feel for the character and indicates his personality traits, but he isn’t able to develop those qualities from the onset of the play. If he had, then as the pace became more frantic the audience could have enjoyed watching him first struggle then ultimately fail to keep his composure. Clearly many of the actors are talented. John Taylor Phillips as Wadsworth has a natural presence on stage as well as crisp comic timing but never fully embodies the stereotypical reserved, unflappable and ultimately arrogant butler. Emily Berman as Miss Scarlet is also clean and precise. Miss Scarlet is a stereotypical Madame but the actress is not allowed to explore the cynism and sexuality of the character who should have a slower, more voluptuous pace than some of the others. Henry Woronicz’s Colonel Mustard vacillates appropriately between being doddering and demanding. He sketches out an interesting frame for his character but again seems to fall prey to the tempo of this runaway train. Claire Wilcher makes a strong acting choice to play Mrs. Peacock with the nervous energy of a bird. Her comedy is broad and eccentric while still grounded in reality. Even when she is in the background of the action, she is always in the moment. When given focus, she commands the stage and rate of action. As a result, her portrayal is very funny and very satisfying to watch. Her least successful moments occur when directed to do something out of character simply for a laugh. Less successfully, Eric Sharp’s Mr. Green and Emjoy Gavino’s Mrs. White just seem lost in the silliness and frenetic mayhem. As lovers of farce and broad comedy, we were disappointed that more care wasn’t taken to create an underlying believability before descending into comic chaos. A stock character when presented by an actor still needs to have specificity. Silliness can be funny, comic bits enjoyable and a fast pace exciting, but they need to be balanced and well executed. By the end of the production, it felt like all 324 murder possibilities were explored, but few realities remained. If you are looking for an evening of fast-paced silliness, screwball comedy and sight gags this production satisfies. As a farce poking fun at human frailty and foibles, Benjamin Hanna’s Clue misses the mark. Clue runs through Sunday, June 25th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting SyracuseStage.org or by calling (315) 443-3275 or by visiting the box office at 820 East Genesee Street. did our critic think of CLUE at Syracuse Stage?
Photo Flash: Check Out Photos From Peter Shaffer's AMADEUS at Folger Theatre
Genius and jealousy collide in Folger Theatre's production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. Richard Clifford (Mary Stuart and The School for Scandal at Folger Theatre), directs the Tony Award-winning “Best Play” set against the backdrop of the opulent salons and opera houses of 18th-century Vienna, examining the rivalry between court composer Antonio Salieri and the boorish but brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The production features Helen Hayes Award-winner Ian Merrill Peakes (Folger Theatre's Macbeth and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) as the tortured composer Salieri, who finds himself living in the shadow of his musical rival Mozart (Samuel Adams).
Genius and jealousy collide in Folger Theatre's production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. Richard Clifford (Mary Stuart and The School for Scandal at Folger Theatre), directs the Tony Award-winning “Best Play” set against the backdrop of the opulent salons and opera houses of 18th-century Vienna, examining the rivalry between court composer Antonio Salieri and the boorish but brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The production features Helen Hayes Award-winner Ian Merrill Peakes (Folger Theatre's Macbeth and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead) as the tortured composer Salieri, who finds himself living in the shadow of his musical rival Mozart (Samuel Adams).
AMADEUS Set for Run at the Folger
Genius and jealousy collide in Folger Theatre's production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. Richard Clifford (Mary Stuart and The School for Scandal at Folger Theatre), directs the Tony Award-winning a?oeBest Playa?? set against the backdrop of the opulent salons and opera houses of 18th-century Vienna, examining the rivalry between court composer Antonio Salieri and the boorish but brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Genius and jealousy collide in Folger Theatre's production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus. Richard Clifford (Mary Stuart and The School for Scandal at Folger Theatre), directs the Tony Award-winning a?oeBest Playa?? set against the backdrop of the opulent salons and opera houses of 18th-century Vienna, examining the rivalry between court composer Antonio Salieri and the boorish but brilliant Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
BWW Review: OSLO at Round House Theatre - Complelling Theater
Do not miss this three hour thriller about diplomacy about the Middle East makes its regional premiere.
Do not miss this three hour thriller about diplomacy about the Middle East makes its regional premiere.
BWW Review: OSLO at Round House Theatre
Oslo is an amazing against-all-odds story of risk, trust, and diplomacy. It is about overcoming hard-and-fast assumptions. Oslo shows the value in finding common ground and allowing ourselves to hope. This Round House Theatre production is a wonder-a brilliant heartfelt, heart-filling experience.
Oslo is an amazing against-all-odds story of risk, trust, and diplomacy. It is about overcoming hard-and-fast assumptions. Oslo shows the value in finding common ground and allowing ourselves to hope. This Round House Theatre production is a wonder-a brilliant heartfelt, heart-filling experience.
BWW Review: Rich and Rewarding TALLEY'S FOLLY at Theater J
In the midst of DC's December winter holidays, Theater J brings to us … a valentine. "This story will unfold as a waltz, a valentine" we are told in the opening monologue - and in the gifted hands of director Aaron Posner, Talley's Folly delivers the beauty and rhythm of a waltz, and the big beating heart of a valentine. Actors John Taylor Phillips and Erin Weaver are well paired, their emotions ebb and flow like the current of the folly's nearby river.
In the midst of DC's December winter holidays, Theater J brings to us … a valentine. "This story will unfold as a waltz, a valentine" we are told in the opening monologue - and in the gifted hands of director Aaron Posner, Talley's Folly delivers the beauty and rhythm of a waltz, and the big beating heart of a valentine. Actors John Taylor Phillips and Erin Weaver are well paired, their emotions ebb and flow like the current of the folly's nearby river.
Theater J Announces TALLEY'S FOLLY
For the third show of its season Around Town, Theater J brings Lanford Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning romantic comedy Talley's Folly to GALA Hispanic Theatre December 7 - 30. A funny and heartwarming theatrical duet, Talley's Folly, is set on a moonlit night in 1944 Missouri, where Matt Friedman, a middle-aged Jewish accountant, has only one chance to win the heart of Sally Talley, a 31 year-old 'old maid' from a bigoted Protestant family. After a lifetime of believing they'll never truly belong in the world around them, they reawaken one another to love, ultimately finding that they do belong - together.
For the third show of its season Around Town, Theater J brings Lanford Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning romantic comedy Talley's Folly to GALA Hispanic Theatre December 7 - 30. A funny and heartwarming theatrical duet, Talley's Folly, is set on a moonlit night in 1944 Missouri, where Matt Friedman, a middle-aged Jewish accountant, has only one chance to win the heart of Sally Talley, a 31 year-old 'old maid' from a bigoted Protestant family. After a lifetime of believing they'll never truly belong in the world around them, they reawaken one another to love, ultimately finding that they do belong - together.
Theater J Announces TALLEY'S FOLLY
For the third show of its season Around Town, Theater J brings Lanford Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning romantic comedy Talley's Folly to GALA Hispanic Theatre December 7 - 30. A funny and heartwarming theatrical duet, Talley's Folly, is set on a moonlit night in 1944 Missouri, where Matt Friedman, a middle-aged Jewish accountant, has only one chance to win the heart of Sally Talley, a 31 year-old 'old maid' from a bigoted Protestant family. After a lifetime of believing they'll never truly belong in the world around them, they reawaken one another to love, ultimately finding that they do belong - together.
For the third show of its season Around Town, Theater J brings Lanford Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning romantic comedy Talley's Folly to GALA Hispanic Theatre December 7 - 30. A funny and heartwarming theatrical duet, Talley's Folly, is set on a moonlit night in 1944 Missouri, where Matt Friedman, a middle-aged Jewish accountant, has only one chance to win the heart of Sally Talley, a 31 year-old 'old maid' from a bigoted Protestant family. After a lifetime of believing they'll never truly belong in the world around them, they reawaken one another to love, ultimately finding that they do belong - together.
VIDEO: Director James DeVita Discusses CYRANO DE BERGERAC AT American Players Theatre
Watch director James DeVita discuss CYRANO DE BERGERAC at American Players Theatre!
Watch director James DeVita discuss CYRANO DE BERGERAC at American Players Theatre!
Review Roundup: THREE SISTERS at American Players Theatre
One of Chekov's most well known works, THREE SISTERS will play at American Players Theatre until September 23. See what the critics are saying!
One of Chekov's most well known works, THREE SISTERS will play at American Players Theatre until September 23. See what the critics are saying!
Review Roundup: CYRANO DE BERGERAC at American Players Theatre
CYRANO DE BERGERAC at American Players Theatre's newly renovated Hill Theatre is a timeless romance filled with wit and heart-stopping action.
CYRANO DE BERGERAC at American Players Theatre's newly renovated Hill Theatre is a timeless romance filled with wit and heart-stopping action.
Review Roundup: A FLEA IN HER EAR at American Players Theatre
A FLEA IN HER EAR at American Players Theatre plays at the Hill Theatre until October 7. It features Nate Burger as Camille Chandebise, Cristina Panfilio as Antoinette, John Taylor Phillips as Etienne, Gavin Lawrence as Dr. Finache, Andrea San Miguel as Lucienne, Kelsey Brennan as Raymonde Chandebise, David Daniel as Victor Emmanuel / Poche, Marcus Truschinski as Tournel, Juan Rivera Lebron as Don Homenides de Histangua, John Pribyl as Feraillon, Rebecca Hurd as Eugenie, Tracy Michelle Arnold as Olympe, Jopnathan Smoots as Herr Stompf, Kipp Moorman as Baptistin, and Robert R. Doyle as Hotel Guest.
A FLEA IN HER EAR at American Players Theatre plays at the Hill Theatre until October 7. It features Nate Burger as Camille Chandebise, Cristina Panfilio as Antoinette, John Taylor Phillips as Etienne, Gavin Lawrence as Dr. Finache, Andrea San Miguel as Lucienne, Kelsey Brennan as Raymonde Chandebise, David Daniel as Victor Emmanuel / Poche, Marcus Truschinski as Tournel, Juan Rivera Lebron as Don Homenides de Histangua, John Pribyl as Feraillon, Rebecca Hurd as Eugenie, Tracy Michelle Arnold as Olympe, Jopnathan Smoots as Herr Stompf, Kipp Moorman as Baptistin, and Robert R. Doyle as Hotel Guest.
BWW Review: Door Shakespeare's Fiercely Human JULIUS CAESAR Examines Political Friends and Foes
While William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar dramatically retells history through rich verse, Door Shakespeare at Baileys Harbor's Bjorklunden gives the play a fiercely human touch in this intimate garden setting. Here a serene rose garden might be enjoyed before the show, directly accessible from the bleacher theater seating. While Director and Milwaukee Rep Artistic Associate James Pickering focuses Shakespeare's political tragedy on the personal relationships between Brutus and Caesar, Cassius and Brutus or Brutus and Portia, Marc Anthony weaves between these relationships before laying rest to the murdered dictator in his famous, 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' oration... In the lush garden on this moonlit stage, the tragic drama acquires a highly intimate and personal interpretation between the litany of interconnections crossing the moral lines between friends and foes, honor and honesty.
While William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar dramatically retells history through rich verse, Door Shakespeare at Baileys Harbor's Bjorklunden gives the play a fiercely human touch in this intimate garden setting. Here a serene rose garden might be enjoyed before the show, directly accessible from the bleacher theater seating. While Director and Milwaukee Rep Artistic Associate James Pickering focuses Shakespeare's political tragedy on the personal relationships between Brutus and Caesar, Cassius and Brutus or Brutus and Portia, Marc Anthony weaves between these relationships before laying rest to the murdered dictator in his famous, 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen' oration... In the lush garden on this moonlit stage, the tragic drama acquires a highly intimate and personal interpretation between the litany of interconnections crossing the moral lines between friends and foes, honor and honesty.
BWW Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Makes True Love Merry at Door Shakespeare
'The course of true love never did run smooth'...so quotes William Shakespeare in his popular comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Door Shakespeare heightens that famous line in this rousing, high energy romp at Bjorklunden Garden in Baileys Harbor this summer. Former Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director and Door County resident Joseph Hanreddy personally stamps Shakespeare's forest fairies and lover's magic with an inventive blend of mayhem that includes some countryfied music for the audience's pleasure.
'The course of true love never did run smooth'...so quotes William Shakespeare in his popular comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Door Shakespeare heightens that famous line in this rousing, high energy romp at Bjorklunden Garden in Baileys Harbor this summer. Former Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director and Door County resident Joseph Hanreddy personally stamps Shakespeare's forest fairies and lover's magic with an inventive blend of mayhem that includes some countryfied music for the audience's pleasure.
Photo Flash: In Rehearsal with Queens Theatre and Titan Theatre Company's A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Rehearsals began this week for Queens Theatre & Titan Theatre Company's Co-production of its new stage adaptation of the Charles Dickens' holiday classic. The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three transformational visits he endures from spirits of his past, present, and future will run December 11-21, 2014 at Queens Theatre, the borough's premiere performing arts venue.
Rehearsals began this week for Queens Theatre & Titan Theatre Company's Co-production of its new stage adaptation of the Charles Dickens' holiday classic. The classic story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three transformational visits he endures from spirits of his past, present, and future will run December 11-21, 2014 at Queens Theatre, the borough's premiere performing arts venue.
BWW Reviews: APT's A DOCTOR'S DILEMMA Dissects Truths to Life and Death
“I can't afford to save my life,” Dr. Blenkinsop tells a cadre of more successful physicians in George Bernard Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma. Spring Green's American Players Theatre presents Shaw's riveting drama at the Up the Hill Theatre this fall, a diverting play that discusses contemporary medical issues even though written over 100 years ago. In Shaw's play, Blenkinsop represents a physician who serves the less fortunate in London society, and when he himself becomes sick, has few means or time to cure his patients, much less himself.
“I can't afford to save my life,” Dr. Blenkinsop tells a cadre of more successful physicians in George Bernard Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma. Spring Green's American Players Theatre presents Shaw's riveting drama at the Up the Hill Theatre this fall, a diverting play that discusses contemporary medical issues even though written over 100 years ago. In Shaw's play, Blenkinsop represents a physician who serves the less fortunate in London society, and when he himself becomes sick, has few means or time to cure his patients, much less himself.
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